Current gas turbine manufacturers produce nozzle support assemblies having stiff frames for supporting center bodies disposed behind the turbines in gas turbines. In particular, these frames typically include inner and outer rings connected to each other by a series of vanes that are brazed or welded to one or both rings. The fixed connection point between each vane and the rings provide stress risers that can carry a moment when the vane receives a load. Furthermore, vanes that are brazed or welded to both rings can have additional internal loads corresponding with differential thermal growth of the outer ring, the inner ring and the vanes. Thus, the combination of the internal pressure loads and differential thermal load can move the center body aft, which in turn opens a sealing arrangement between the components of the engine thus permitting cooling air to escape and reducing the ability to provide load control.
It would therefore be helpful to provide a nozzle support system that decreases the internal pressure loads and the differential thermal load of the nozzle to maintain a seal interface with the turbine and thus permit load control of the gas turbine.